If you choose keep guns aroudn don't just have them, learn how to use them from a defensive/tactical standpoint as well as safety procedures. Take some courses, Frontsight, Gunsight, and some others are great. Once in awhile visualize different home invasion scenarios and different responses, possible improvised weapons, etc. Keep 9-1-1 on speed dial. Keep a phone in your bedroom. Look through your peep hole before ever answer your door. If someone breaks into your house, and you're in your bedroom, don't go venture out after them unless you have training by professionals in room clearing tactics. I'm Army infantry and clearing occupied rooms makes me nervous. Just have a weapon ready, have your family and you hide and call 9-1-1. Keep all important stuff in the room you spend the most time in (for most people that's the bedroom). Maybe even keep decoy credit cards around.

Edited by Stormdragon (07/25/1006:46 AM)

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Member of DaJoGen MMA school under Dave Hagen and Team Chaos fight team under Denver Mangiyatan and Chris Toquero, ran out of Zanshin Martial Arts in Salem Oregon: http://www.zanshinarts.org/Home.aspx,

I'm just gonna put a sign out front saying "OIF vet with PTSD, beware" and be seen outside on a regular basis cleaning my m4. An m4 which will have an ACOG and gangster handle, rails, the whole 9 yardes. Think anyone will try something?

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Member of DaJoGen MMA school under Dave Hagen and Team Chaos fight team under Denver Mangiyatan and Chris Toquero, ran out of Zanshin Martial Arts in Salem Oregon: http://www.zanshinarts.org/Home.aspx,

Regarding the neighbors, they can be one of your best lines of defense for home security. If you and your neighbors all know each other, and your general daily habits, then it will become that much more obvious when someone strange comes by or there is unusual activity.

I bring this up particularly because in my area there has been a series of very bold daytime breakins where the thieves were dressed as workmen and used a moving truck. They take advantage of the fact that neighbors don't know each other to 'move out' someone's belongings while the resident is at work.

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Member of DaJoGen MMA school under Dave Hagen and Team Chaos fight team under Denver Mangiyatan and Chris Toquero, ran out of Zanshin Martial Arts in Salem Oregon: http://www.zanshinarts.org/Home.aspx,